WASHINGTON  Ann Romney is fighting back after a Democratic consultant suggested the wife of wealthy Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shouldn’t be talking about the economy’s toll on women.

“Guess what, his wife has actually never worked a day in her life,” said consultant Hilary Rosen on CNN.

The remark inspired Ann Romney’s debut on Twitter.

“I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys,” she wrote. “Believe me, it was hard work.”

The exchange sparked a spat by tweet, with President Barack Obama’s advisers taking the rare step of siding with the spouse of his likely Republican opponent and demanding an apology from Rosen, who as of Thursday morning had not backed off.

“Please know, I admire you,” Rosen later tweeted to Ann Romney. “But your husband shouldn’t say you are his expert on women and the economy.”

Patrick Gaspard, executive director of the Democratic National Committee, sought Thursday to separate the Obama campaign from both Rosen’s comments and Rosen herself.

“What she said was absolutely out of bounds,” Gaspard said on MSNBC. “Ann Romney is someone who obviously has worked hard to raise five good boys and she’s made some tough choices in her life, I’m certain. Families should be absolutely out of bounds in this discussion.”

Gaspard said that while Rosen was a smart Democratic strategist, she had no formal role in Obama’s re-election campaign.

“Hillary Rosen is absolutely not a paid adviser to the DNC or to the Obama campaign, absolutely not,” he said.

The speed of the spat reflects the overriding influence of women voters this election year and the eagerness of both campaigns to avoid alienating any sub group of them, particularly with the presidency and congressional majorities at stake.

Two decades after Hillary Rodham Clinton supposed she could have stayed home and baked cookies rather than have a career, the role of women remains up for intense debate in the nation’s political discourse.

Women comprise a majority of voters in presidential election years. Recent polling shows they lean heavily toward Democrats and cite the economy and jobs as their top issues.

Obama and his allies, seeking to rally their most ardent supporters as the economy recovers from recession, have accused Republicans of waging a “war against women” on social and economic policy, from contraception to pay equity.

Ann Romney has been her husband’s chief surrogate on women’s issues and he has deferred to her when that is the topic of discussion. Only this week has the candidate himself made explicit pitches to women at female-owned small businesses in Delaware and Connecticut.

Romney also mentioned poor single moms during a speech last week, signaling another group he hopes to peel off from Obama’s base of supporters.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 42 total comments

There's a big difference between women who work in order to feel "fulfilled" and those who work because they HAVE to... The difference is reflected in the pay each receives... Those who have not BEEN THERE should keep their mouths shut..!!!

aimee, Once again the HYPOCRISY the Left comes out. Did you know the WOMEN in the OBAMA White House receive LESS pay than their male colleagues? Wasn't Obama the one that got the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act passed? Oh and why would Mooochele Obama have to work when she was earning $316,000 a year and Obama was making $162,000? Did she just want to "feel fulfilled?"~Rosen, must have not had to work, she took off in the 90's to help raise 2 kids, her and her girlfriend adopted. From Wikipedia on Hilary Rosen: "On January 22, 2003, Rosen announced that she would resign as head of the RIAA at the end of 2003, in order to spend more time with her partner, Elizabeth Birch, and the couple's twins (a boy and a girl). She began a television commentator career first with CNBC and then with MSNBC. She signed with CNN in early 2008. Rosen and Birch separated in 2006."FYI, Hilary Rosen visited the White House 35 times versus 9 times for Gen. Petraeus.This is nothing more than an orchestrated effort by the Left just as the Fluke farce.~And isn't it something the Democrats say the Republicans are waging war on women BUT THEY have no respect for a woman who doesn't receive a pay check for her work. ~There's nothing wrong with being a stay home mom. A woman at home would know better than her husband when the economy turns for the worst. Most run the household while the husband makes the living?

I do not understand why this Rosen woman felt the need to attack Mrs. Romney. Apply Rosen's logic to any issue and none of us could ever have an opinion on anything that we did not have personal experience. I wonder if Rosen has any opinions about breast cancer and MS since Mrs. Romney has personal experience with both, but not Rosen.

Rosen is an idiot. Any woman who has raised 5 boys has worked even if she had a handful of servants to help her out. I am sure the car trip with five sons in the car and Seamus on the roof was no picnic. I think the point Rosen was trying to make is that Ann is not qualified to counsel Romney on issues related to women in the workforce as she has never been out there and dealt with wage issues, sexual harrassment etc. Romney needs to get a woman who has worked in HR to counsel him. Unfortunately, Romney is as clueless as this Rosen woman. (You can't blame these remarks on the President and First Lady.)

Populist says... I think the point Rosen was trying to make is that Ann is not qualified to counsel Romney on issues related to women in the workforce as she has never been out there and dealt with wage issues, sexual harrassment etc. Romney needs to get a woman who has worked in HR to counsel him. Unfortunately, Romney is as clueless as this Rosen woman. (You can't blame these remarks on the President and First Lady.)No we can't blame Rosen's remarks on the White House BUT Rosen does work for the Democrat Party (DNC)~Like I said the women in the Obama White house make LESS than their male colleagues. That CAN be BLAMED ON them...........

I'm sure that there is a point to paint her as a 1%er too. Obama will have to hold the advantage with women. So I'm sure its not a coincidence, its politics. If the Romney campaign didn't see it coming they might want to rethink their leadership. Game on.